A chestnut gelding named Apollo won the 1882 Kentucky Derby, thereby placing his name in two footnotes to history1,2 as well as on the exclusive roll of Derby victors. He was born on Daniel Swigert's farm in Kentucky in 1879 with some big names in his pedigree, including the great Lexington.3 His sire, Lever, was called Ashstead in England but the stallion's name was changed after he was imported to the United States.
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| | | Boston by Timoleon
| | Lexington |
| | | Alice Carneal by Sarpedon
| Lever | |
| | | Trustee by Catton
| | Levity |
| | | Mare by Tranby
Apollo -----------------------------------------------------------
| | | Priam by Emilius
| | The Colonel |
| | | My Laby by Comus
| Rebecca T. Price | |
| | | Margrave by Muley
| | Margrave Mare |
| | | Rosalie Somers by Sir Charley
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Purchased by Green B. Morris and his friend Mr. Patton, Apollo began his racing career as a three-year-old, under Morris' training. On May 16 of 1882, Apollo took the field along with thirteen colts for the eighth running of the Kentucky Derby. The favorite was Runnymede, owned by the Dwyer brothers and ridden by James McLaughlin, the same combination that had produced Hindoo's Derby victory the previous year. It was a cool spring day with blue skies and temperatures in the low 60's when Apollo stepped onto the track at Churchill Downs.7 He carried 102 pounds, including his jockey, African-American Babe Hurd. At the start, Harry Gilmore leaped into the early lead, but was overtaken by Runnymede after a mile. Just when the crowd had begun to think the favorite would carry the day, Apollo "started a cyclonic rush an eighth of a mile from the finish" and won by half a length. After Apollo and Runnymede came Bengal, Harry Gilmore, Babcock, Monogram, Highflyer, Wendover, an unnamed Pat Malloy colt, Wallensee, Newsboy, Lost Cause, and Robert Bruce. The winning time was 2:40 1/2 and Apollo brought home $4560.4
Apollo raced 24 times as a three-year-old and thirty times in his fourth year. He posted 24 wins, including the Cottrill Stakes, the Coal Stakes, the St. Leger Stakes, the Drummers Stakes, the Montgomery Stakes, and the Merchants' Stakes. He finished second fifteen times, including the Kenner Stakes, the United States Hotel Stakes, the Glass Stakes, the Pickwick Stakes, the Cotton Stakes, and the Howard Cup. He also finished third nine times, in races including the Clark Stakes, the Excelsior Stakes, and the Tennessee Club Post Stakes. At the end of his career he had earned the respectable sum of $21680.5,6 It is probable that he was raced so frequently both because he was so successful and because he had very little value off the track. He could never be retired to stud. For this same reason, Apollo's name and record have been largely forgotten by the American Thoroughbred community.
Notes:
1. Only eight geldings have ever won the Kentucky Derby; Apollo was the second to do so.
2. Apollo is the only horse ever to win the Kentucky Derby without racing at all as a two-year-old.
3. http://k-ba.data-hotel.net/cgi-bin/ped/pedigree.pl?data=66174
4. http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2003/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1882.html
5. http://www.innisfree.org/1994.html
6. http://www.tbcprojects.com/career.php?search=896
7. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/climate/derby.txt